True Radical Honesty From Our Community

As skincare ingredients go, snow algae might not be top of mind, but things are about to change because this wonder of nature looks set to make a real difference for aging skin.

Nature is a wonderful thing. From the power of our oceans to the smallest cellular matter, nature is everywhere. Quite frankly, without it, life as we know it would not exist.

According to the Mental Health Foundation, surrounding ourselves with nature keeps us emotionally, psychologically and physically healthy. It’s no wonder, therefore, that ‘feeding’ your skin with nature’s greatest offerings is one of the most effective ways to optimize the health of your skin.

At TruSkin we harness the powers of plant extracts and botanical oils across all of our products, combining nature’s finest with potent, lab-created ingredients to provide you with what we truly believe is the best of both science and nature. We take pride in crafting effective treatments that are formulated with the crème de la crème of synthetic skincare (think retinol, niacinamide and vitamin C). We then blend these science-backed powerhouses with natural ingredients that provide equally as incredible benefits to your skin. Oat and rice milk are fabulous examples that immediately spring to mind – both of which are packed into our new Soothing Cleansing Milk alongside synthetic favorites such as hyaluronic and stearic acids to provide comfort and nourishment to sensitive skin.

Nature: it’s what we live for. What’s more, every now and again, a new natural ingredient comes to our attention that offers something new and exciting to skincare. And most recently we hit on a very special type of algae called snow algae.

Already proving its worth in the anti-aging world, here’s what you need to know…

What Is Snow Algae?

Snow algae, otherwise known as pink snow, red snow or sometimes even watermelon snow, is found in the ice caps and mountain tops of some of the coldest, most extreme climates in the world. The Alps, Himalayas and Arctic Coast are often covered with pink blankets of snow algae. Basically, it’s found anywhere where there is permanent snow all year round.

Although green at warmer temperatures, snow algae turns pink thanks to red-tinted carotenoid pigments which kick in when the mercury drops and levels of UV radiation increase. Without getting too technical on you, this clever defense system protects its growth, shields it from harmful UV radiation and allows snow algae to survive and, more than that, totally thrive in extreme, frigid conditions.

Kudos for that. Most other plants stand no chance in such brutal climates.

Impressive, But What Does That Have To Do With Your Skin?

Snow algae’s unique defense mechanism offers all manner of awesome skincare benefits.

Studies show that when it’s applied to the skin on a regular basis, snow algae activates certain enzymes and longevity genes which put your skin cells on a kind of diet. By restricting energy to your skin, they’re encouraged to work in a more efficient way, thus accelerating and improving DNA repair, encouraging collagen synthesis and slowing down the aging process of your skin while boosting restoration and regeneration. By strengthening the skin at a cellular level, snow algae also works hard to fortify your skin’s barrier function, helping to prevent transepidermal water loss and increase overall hydration.

But that’s not all, snow algae also has potent antioxidant properties which is how it keeps itself protected from extreme UV damage. And the same can be said when you apply it topically to your skin.

Antioxidants are a super important part of your skincare routine because they’re pretty much the only way to destroy free radicals and stop them from aging you up. Free radicals are formed when your skin is exposed to environmental bad guys like pollution, smoking and the inevitable UV radiation. If left to their own devices free radicals play havoc with your skin, ruining your collagen and elastin supplies, chipping away at your important barrier function and accelerating the visible signs of aging – most notably fine lines and pesky wrinkles.

Thankfully, antioxidants help neutralize free radicals and slow down their damaging force. And that’s why they should play a valuable part in your daily skincare routine.

As you know, we’ve long been fans of antioxidants – our whole reason for existing grew from vitamin C – and learning of new, powerful antioxidants from nature gets us very excited. This is why we’re charging two of our exciting new skincare innovations with extracts of rare but wonderful snow algae: Rejuvenating Longevity Serum and Renewing Longevity Moisturizing Cream.

Our NEW Longevity range provides the ideal solution for mature skin, working hard to correct the visible signs of aging while promoting more healthy aging as your skin moves forward. Alongside snow algae, each product contains bakuchiol – nature’s fabulous and super effective alternative to retinol – plus a whole bunch of nourishing, hydrating and age-resisting ingredients like lingonberry stem cells and hyaluronic acid.

Fancy seeing what all the fuss is about snow algae? And bakuchiol for that matter? Then try our NEW Longevity range today. You will not regret it.
 

Not only is bakuchiol nature’s hottest alternative to retinol, but it’s way more stable, super effective and gentler on the skin. Here’s everything you need to know.

Some skincare ingredients come and go, while others are never far from the top of every dermatologist’s recommended hit list. And if you’re into the former, we have one question for you: why? We’re not being rude but why would you even bother with flighty ingredients that, sure, might be all over TikTok for three seconds, but have zero evidence that they really work?

No, the ingredients you really need to know about are the ones that stand the test of time and are backed by proof. Clinical studies, trials, research, evidence, you know the drill. The ingredients that have been around for decades and are the stalwarts of every skincare afficionado’s beauty cabinet – think retinol, vitamin C, hyaluronic acid and glycolic acid.

Retinol, in particular, is a real powerhouse for skin. With years of research to its name, it’s been proven time and again as one of the best ingredients for polishing up the quality of your complexion. By ‘communicating’ with your skin at a cellular level it works hard to enhance collagen production and encourage cell turnover, therefore doing its best to improve acne breakouts, wrinkles, dark spots, sagging skin, enlarged pores, the lot.

But here’s the thing, retinol doesn’t suit everyone. It’s super effective, for sure, but it’s also pretty hardcore and can be, let’s just say, too much for some skin types. So, while we would never diss the unarguable powers of retinol – it does take center stage with a fair amount of our formulations, after all! – it’s nice to know there are some alternatives out there.

Ceramides, peptides, antioxidants and exfoliating acids all have incredible anti-aging powers that help protect and enhance the look and feel of your health. And just like retinol, they’ve been around the block a few times… because they work. But they do so in very different ways. In fact, up until now there hasn’t been much to choose from when looking to mimic the effects of retinol, with less of the downsides.

And this is why there’s such a buzz right now about new skincare ingredient, bakuchiol.

What Is Bakuchiol?

Bakuchiol (pronounced bah-koo-chee-awl) is the backbone of our NEW Longevity skincare range and offers a brand new, gentler approach to aging. Already being touted as nature’s answer to retinol, bakuchiol is extracted from the seeds and leaves of the babchi plant and has been used for centuries in Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine, both internally and topically to treat the skin. The reason it’s become such current hot property is because a bunch of clinical studies have come to light showing that, as well as offering anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, bakuchiol offers similar benefits to retinol.

When applied regularly it’s been proven to dramatically improve the surface of the skin by stimulating collagen synthesis and accelerating cellular turnover. And all of this comes with very few, if any, of the irritating side effects.

Retinol Or Bakuchiol? The Facts

Bakuchiol may sound too good to be true, but should you really diss retinol forever more? Or can you actually enjoy them both? Whatever you choose, here are three important facts that distinguish the differences between bakuchiol and retinol.

1. A Classic Case Of Science Vs Nature

Unlike retinol, which is a chemical compound derived from vitamin A, bakuchiol is 100 percent natural. As we’re sure you know, we’re big fans of plant-derived ingredients here at TruSkin and put nature at the core of all of our formulations. At the same time, we believe that both science and nature have their place in skincare which is why we like to combine the two to offer the best solutions for your skin.

If you like to stick with ingredients that have decades of research under their belts then retinol is the one for you. Prefer to go all-out natural? Then bakuchiol is a great choice. 

2. It’s All About Tolerance

The most frustrating thing about retinol is the annoying side effects. Of course, these don’t affect everyone and if you start slowly with gentle, carefully curated formulations, you’re sure to find a retinol treatment that works for you. If you have strong skin that’s completely unphased by anything you throw at it, for example, you probably love and use retinol on the reg (in which case, have you tried our Retinol Facial Serum yet? It’s the best.)

Side effects, however, are no joke, and if you’ve ever experienced the dryness, redness, peeling or itching that can come hand in hand with certain retinol products, the knowledge that there’s a gentler alternative out there will be music to your ears.

Of course, it’s always wise to patch test any new skincare products, but past research has shown very few cases of negative side effects from using bakuchiol.

3. The Stability Game

Retinol and sunshine are a bad combination. And not because retinol makes your skin more sensitive to the sun. The real reason is that retinol is unstable and reactive to light which means that if you apply it in the daytime, it won’t work as well. This is why retinol is most often advised for night time use only.

Bakuchiol, on the other hand, is perfectly fine to use both morning and night as it holds up well when exposed to sunlight. Furthermore, due to its gentler nature, it can be used twice daily, every day if you fancy. You could even switch it up with your retinol product if you like, applying your retinol treatment once or twice a week before bed, then a bakuchiol product on alternative nights, as well as in the mornings. Choices, choices, aren’t they the best?

The Takeaway

Retinol has long been the recommended go-to for aging skin concerns. And as much as bakuchiol continues to gain momentum in the skincare industry, this will never change. You might be reading this wondering what the problem with retinol is. And if that’s the case and you never have issues with dryness or flaking skin, then there really is no problem. Retinol is your guy and there’s no reason to change that.

However, if you’re all too familiar with the irritating side-effects of retinol and have tried and failed time and again to make it work for you, then bakuchiol might be exactly what you’ve been looking for.

Fancy giving it a go? Then look no further. As if by magic we just launched three new products that harness the gentle powers of bakuchiol: Rejuvenating Longevity Serum, Depuffing Longevity Eye Cream and Renewing Longevity Moisturizing Cream. Together, they provide the ideal solution for slowing down the aging process of mature skin.

Already. In. Love.

We’re not going to lie to you, nailing the exact cleansing routine for your skin's needs isn’t easy. But once you’ve crushed the basics, the rest should fall into place…

Cleansing: not the most exciting part of your skincare routine is it? Especially when you weigh it up against all the other good stuff like applying face serum or feeling smug as you smooth on your sunscreen every morning. But the thing is, cleansing is one of, if not the most important acts you can do to your skin. Without a clean slate, the rest of your skincare routine is pretty useless. Not to mention what you do to your poor old pores if you leave them clogged up with hours or even days (eek!) of oil, sweat, makeup, pollution and goodness-knows-what other kinds of gunk and crud. We can’t think of a better way to subject your skin to a whole life of blocked pores, major irritation and continual acne breakouts.

And we doubt any of these are high up on your skin’s priority list.

OK, so cleansing twice daily is important, you get that, right? Good. Now, there are a few other things you should know...

First up is that treating your skin with the utmost of care is a major deal. And you can nail this by switching out scorching hot water for lukewarm water, while using gentle massage with your hands and fingers as you wash your face. And your drying technique? Yeah about that. First up, don’t use any old hand towel that’s been sat in the bathroom for weeks. Instead invest in a ‘yours only’ cotton face towel and wash it with your laundry at least every other day to avoid spreading bacteria all over your precious visage.

Finally, and possibly most importantly, is the cleansing product you use. The overriding rule here is that whatever your skin type, you must always choose the most gentle, kind-to-skin ingredients you can find. You may think that stripping your oily skin with super powerful, astringent formulations is going to nix your excess oil and have you glowing with the perfect skin in seconds. But this is a mistake and will make matters ten times worse. Guaranteed.

Whatever your skin’s wants and needs, we suggest avoiding potent surfactants like sodium laureth sulfate (SLS) and sodium lauryl ether sulfate (SLES) as they can screw up your barrier function and leave your skin open to everything from itching and dryness to breakouts and redness. Nobody needs those in their life and there are plenty of other ingredients out there to gently cleanse your skin without causing as much upset.

Speaking of which, here’s what ingredients to look out for depending on your skin type and condition…

What You Need If Your Skin Is Dry Or Sensitive

Dry skin and pesky sensitivities often come hand in hand since dry skin lacks the natural oils it needs to keep it naturally protected and lubricated. So what does dry skin look for in its perfect cleanser? Well, one thing you definitely don’t need are potent ingredients (here’s looking at you SLS!) that will strip your skin even further and do the very thing you don’t want. Instead, look for cleansers that are high on moisturization and low in potent active ingredients.

Humectants and emollients are the real friends here because they attract much-needed moisture to the surface of the skin and then help to keep it there. 

Awesome Ingredients To Look Out For: Hyaluronic acid, glycerin, aloe, vitamin E, oat milk, rice milk, jojoba oil and shea butter.

Try: Soothing Cleansing Milk

Where To Turn If Your Skin Is Oily Or Acne-Prone

While it’s tempting to go all-out with drying alcohols, sulfates and potent, bacteria-busting ingredients like benzoyl peroxide, you're way better off erring towards a gentler approach to cleansing oily or problematic skin. Yes, you want to balance sebum production by using non-pore-clogging ingredients but if you strip your skin right back, your sebaceous glands just end up working harder and producing more and more oil to counteract all that dryness.

Our BFF for oily, acne-prone skin is tea tree oil which not only helps tame sebum, but also works hard to fight bacteria and reduce inflammation with less irritation and side effects than benzoyl peroxide.

Awesome Ingredients To Look Out For: Tea tree oil, salicylic acid, witch hazel, MSM, niacinamide and retinol.

Try: Tea Tree Super Cleanser+

What To Choose If You Have Combination Skin

Combination skin is the most common and arguably the trickiest skin type to manage – oily in some places, dry in others, what’s THAT about? – so the key is to choose lightweight, pH-balanced and non-comedogenic formulations to help bring harmony to your skin. Try to avoid skin-triggering ingredients like sulfates, parabens and synthetic fragrance, and definitely don’t use soap as this will make both your oiliness and dryness so much worse.

A fan favorite for combination skin is activated coconut charcoal which gently but effectively draws out toxins and excess oils to help clear out your pores and purify the skin. And don’t forget to use toner which is a real friend for combination skin.

Awesome Ingredients To Look Out For: Charcoal, ylang ylang oil, reishi mushroom, aloe vera, hyaluronic acid, squalene and peptides.

Try: Charcoal Clarifying Cleanser

What Dull, Tired Skin Can Rely On

Most of us can relate to skin that needs a kick up the butt every now and again. We’re talking dullness, poor texture, uneven skin tone and, well, you know the drill. Whatever your skin type, a lack of radiance get us all. Sounds familiar? Then brightening cleansers are where it’s at. And look no further than vitamin C.

Vitamin C is one of the most trusted ingredients in skincare thanks to its whizz-bang antioxidant qualities that help fight oxidative stress due to things like environmental pollution, UV radiation, stress, zero sleep and a poor diet. Vitamin C also helps inhibit melanin production which is great news if your skin tone is all over the place and needs help. It’s a veritable go-to for dull, tired skin. And if you’re one of those lucky few with ‘normal’ skin that’s pretty darn balanced most of the time? This is also a great cleansing choice for you.

Awesome Ingredients To Look Out For: Sodium ascorbyl phosphate (vitamin C), vitamin E, retinol, aloe vera, kojic acid, glycolic acid, lactic acid and rosehip oil.

Try: Vitamin C Brightening Cleanser

Looking after your skin is important, for sure. But do you really want to put your skin above our world’s precious oceans? Thought not. So here’s how to upgrade your beauty habits to ensure both you and our oceans are well taken care of…

Thanks to social awareness and a greater need to do good, making eco-friendly shopping choices has become quite the norm for many of us. From opting for more natural ingredients in things like laundry detergent and facial moisturizer, to investing in minimal packaging and recycling as much as possible, it’s clear that we’re way more environmentally aware than we were ten years ago. And we love that.

When it comes to our precious oceans, however, there’s so much more we can do to stop poisoning our waters and everything that lives in them. Did you know, for example, that there’s an entire ‘island’ of trash in the middle of the North Pacific called the Great Pacific Garbage Patch? If that sounds awful…well… it’s because it is. Truth is, this so-called patch contains more than 1.8 trillion pieces of plastic and is double the size of Texas. Pretty scary, right?

So, here are four ways to improve your beauty habits to ensure you’re doing your bit.

Reduce Your Single-Use Plastics

Plastic is absolute hell on earth with over two-thirds of all plastic waste ending up either in landfills or in our oceans. Want to hear a really scary fact? OK, get this: it’s believed that by around 2050 there could be more plastic in the ocean than fish.

Frightening right? This is why limiting your plastic purchasing is really, like REALLY important.

Living a completely plastic-free life is not easy, we get that, but there are many ways you can reduce your usage. For starters, think about switching up your laundry detergent, toilet paper and household detergents to plastic-free alternatives. Check out companies like Dropps, Who Gives A Crap and Net Zero Co for some awesome options.

And when it comes to your beauty products? Look out for glass bottles like our facial serums which are easily recycled, and switch to plastic-free deodorants and solid bar shampoos, conditioners and body washes.

Stick With Reef-Safe SPF

Reducing plastic waste is obviously one of the most important factors we need to get to grips with. But it doesn’t stop there. Your choice of sunscreen is also pretty major.

According to the National Park Service, somewhere between 4,000 and 6,000 tons of sunscreen gets left in the oceans every year. And this causes a significant threat to coral reefs and marine life.

Of course, abolishing the use of sunscreen altogether is crazy talk. Because skin cancer. Plus aging, wrinkles, dark spots and so on. What you can do, however, is ensure you’re making good formulation choices. And the most important thing you can do is to avoid oxybenzone and octinoxate.

Already banned in Hawaii, parts of Mexico and Key West, oxybenzone and octinoxate have been shown to negatively impact coral by causing bleaching, damage to DNA and eventual death. Coral reefs are hugely important to the world as they provide a balanced ecosystem for marine life to thrive while protecting coastal areas from powerful waves and the consequent effects of potentially damaging storms and flooding. We must, therefore, try harder to look after them.

Instead of chemical sunscreens containing oxybenzone and/or octinoxate, protect your skin and the oceans by using reef-safe mineral sunscreens. How to do this? Easy. Look for formulations like our SPF 30 Mineral Sunscreen with Vitamin C which uses non-nano zinc oxide to shield your skin from damaging UV radiation. Zinc oxide is much easier on the oceans. And way better for your conscience.

Ditch Those Dastardly Wipes

Why, oh why were disposable facial cleansing wipes ever invented? Sure, they can be convenient but, honestly, they don’t even do that great a job. Not only are they pretty poor when it comes to cleaning your skin and removing makeup, but most wipes contain chemicals and, worse yet, plastic fibers which never go away. Instead they slowly break down into smaller particles, sitting in landfills, polluting rivers and eventually ending up in our oceans.

Even wipes that claim to be biodegradable, often break down so slowly, they’re nothing more than a con.

Say no to disposable wipes and clean your face twice daily with a ‘proper’ cleanser like Vitamin C Brightening Cleanser, using either your hands or an organic cotton cloth to help boost circulation, gently exfoliate and massage your skin.

Say No To Potentially Harmful Ingredients

According to the Environmental Working Group, the average woman uses 12 personal care products a day, which equates to around 168 chemical ingredients. Now, don’t get us wrong, some chemical ingredients are pretty harmless, but very effective – think retinol, vitamin C, niacinamide and friends. However, there are some dark destroyers we believe you should steer clear of. Not only for the sake of your oceans, but for your own health as well.

Parabens, for starters, may well be powerful preservatives that stop harmful things like bacteria, mold and fungi from ruining your beauty products but, like chemical sunscreens, they’ve also been linked to the deterioration of coral reefs. In fact, certain studies have detected parabens in surface waters, fish and sediments and shown that even the lowest levels of butylparaben – one of the most commonly used parabens in cosmetics – can cause significant harm and even death.

Synthetic fragrances, sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), and phthalates are also thought to play their part in unnecessarily polluting our oceans, accumulating in marine life where they slowly making their way up the food chain. Which is kinda scary if you ask us.

The good news is we care about our oceans just as much as you do, so we avoid these potentially nasty ingredients across all of our products.

Let’s all try to be better by doing what we can to be more ocean-friendly, shall we? After all, every little bit counts.
 

Turns out Cleopatra’s favorite milk baths might not have been such a wild idea, after all.

Milk for dry skin? Yes, word on the street is that the white stuff could be the answer to all your dry skin woes…

It’s fair to say that dry skin can be a real nuisance. And if you have it, you won’t need reminding of the many frustrations that come with dealing with dryness and flaking skin – especially on your face. Sure, oily skin comes with its own set of bugbears but, given the choice, it would win the ‘would you rather?’ argument every time.

You see, the thing with dry skin (medical term: xeroderma) is that it often comes with other frustrations like itching, redness, tightness, sensitivities and dehydration. Why is that? Well, dry skin has fewer sebaceous glands than other skin types. And sebaceous glands are super-important for the health of your skin because they produce sebum which contains all manner of fatty acids, wax esters, squalene and triglycerides to lubricate the skin, protect it from outside aggressors and help it retain water. As we said, important stuff.

Unlike oily and combination skin which both contain their fair share of sebaceous glands, dry skin is genetically lacking in these essential oil producers. Hence the dryness. And that’s not all. Thanks to a poorly functioning protective barrier, dry skin is also kind of bad at retaining moisture which means it has a tendency to become dehydrated and easily irritated. Then when you chuck things like harsh soaps and hot showers at it? Well, you’ve got a recipe for disaster on your hands. Sigh.

But it’s not all bad news because there are tons of ways to help treat and protect dry skin. Moisturizer, for one thing, is the single most important product anyone with dry skin can have up their sleeves, and ingredients like glycerin, hyaluronic acid, shea butter and jojoba oil can be total lifesavers.

There’s also a lesser-known ingredient that’s been steadily making its way back onto the beauty shelves and is already making headlines for its ability to care so awesomely for dry skin: milk.

Milk & Your Skin: The Facts

As an alleged devotee to bathing in sour milk, we have to salute the Egyptian queen Cleopatra for knowing her skincare stuff way before her time. Because milk is not only powerful and natural, but it’s truly effective.

So what’s the deal and why is it so damn good for your skin? Well, milk contains tons of exfoliating and nourishing compounds including minerals, vitamins, acids and antioxidants. One of its biggest plus points? Lactic acid. Like glycolic acid, lactic acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA), a naturally hydrating and exfoliating acid that dissolve the bonds between skin cells to encourage all those unsightly, no-longer-wanted dead ones to slough away. Skin needs gentle exfoliation every now and again because dead skin cells have a tendency to hang around longer than necessary, especially as you get older when cell turnover becomes slow and sluggish. And while harsh scrubs and potent glycolic acid can be too much for dry skin, lactic acid is the best of both worlds, gently removing the dead stuff while caring for your complexion and revealing all that plump, deliciously fresh skin.

However, in our modern world, milk is no longer just milk and given that many people are vegan or lactose-intolerant, it’s important to know that plant-based options like rice and oat milk are just as good, if not better for looking after your dry skin.

Oat Milk: The Soothing Treatment

Undoubtedly the most popular of the dairy-free milk alternatives, oat milk has similar soothing, calming and antioxidant effects as its cousin, colloidal oatmeal – another commonly used ingredient in skincare. Made purely from oats and water, its antioxidant benefits are great for warding off environmental skin damage from the daily wear and tear of UV radiation, pollution and the like, while its soothing effects are perfect for reducing irritation and helping to calm dry skin.

Oat milk also has anti-inflammatory properties so may help skin conditions like eczema and rosacea. Oh, and it acts like a humectant, drawing water to the surface of the skin to help keep it hydrated and healthy. Impressive stuff, right?

Rice Milk: The Skin Brightener

While oat milk wins the popularity contest, rice milk is not to be dismissed. Because it's good. Like, really good. In fact, rice milk boasts a whole bunch of skin benefits, not least of which is it ability to help brighten and even out your skin tone while calming the skin and reducing the visible appearance of dark spots. It does this thanks to its natural astringent properties, coupled with its abundance of niacin which is known to have gentle whitening effects.

Rice milk is also packed with free radical-fighting antioxidants (bonus!), plus it contains a vitamin-like component called inositol which helps moisturize the skin and supports healthy collagen production.

Say Hello To New TruSkin Soothing Cleansing Milk!

Hopefully you now understand just how effective milk can be for protecting, nourishing and soothing dry skin. So where’s all this leading? Well, after listening to you and realizing that, while our cleansing line-up is downright awesome, it’s been missing something specifically tailored to dry skin, we spent hours (more like months!) in the lab formulating an exciting new cleansing milk that cares for your skin without leaving it feeling tight and dry.

And our Soothing Cleansing Milk is finally here! Suitable for all skin types, but specifically created for dry and sensitive skin, this cleansing milk is soothing and lightweight, whipping away make-up, dirt and debris while leaving your skin feeling super soft, nourished, hydrated and comfortable. Bursting with both oat and rice milk (because one’s just not good enough for you!) it also contains hyaluronic acid for extra hydration and its soft, milky texture is one you really cannot miss.

Click here to check out the full details and try out new Soothing Cleansing Milk for yourself – trust us, you won’t regret it!

Looking to add an extra glowy edge to your skin just in time for brighter, sunnier days? We say vitamin C for the win! Here’s why…

Vitamin C is everything to us. Our first ever product launch was all about harnessing the powers of vitamin C in skincare and since formulating our awesome OG (the award-winning Vitamin C Facial Serum in case you were wondering!), everything we’ve gone on to create has stemmed from the incredible powers of this antioxidant powerhouse.

Otherwise known as l-ascorbic acid, topical vitamin C is adored by derms, celebrities, beauty editors and skin experts all over the world. In fact, along with retinol, it’s probably the most loved ingredient of all time. It’s also consistently up there as the one of the most searched-for skincare ingredients on the internet. A true skincare GOAT if you will. So, what’s the deal? Well, first and foremost, vitamin C is an antioxidant; a real fighter against skin damage and premature aging.

You see, antioxidants are the only ingredients to be able to neutralize pesky free radicals that form in your skin when it’s been subjected to the slings and arrows of everyday life. Think UV radiation, pollution, smoking, stress and a poor diet. All these factors create harmful free radicals which attack collagen and elastin and screw up their integrity. This can only mean one thing – bad news for your skin. As you know collagen and elastin are the super important building blocks of healthy skin. Without a good amount of quality proteins in your skin, it will become dry, lacklustre, saggy and blotchy. Not to mention the fact that fine lines and wrinkles will show up in no time.

As well as it’s free radical-fighting abilities vitamin C has been shown to help your sunscreen work harder and better, souping up its protection to further shield your skin from harmful ultraviolet rays. It’s not a sunscreen by any stretch of the imagination so it can never replace your SPF, but still, the combination of the two? Pretty darn good. Its anti-inflammatory properties (oh, didn’t we mention that?) are also thought to help control sebum production and therefore aid with breakouts. Which is not to be sniffed at.

All this is awesome and hats off to vitamin C for everything it does for the skin. But it boasts one more benefit and, call us shallow, but it’s probably the thing we love most about it. Simply put, vitamin C makes the skin look so much… well… better. We know that’s no scientific term but admit it, that’s what we all want for our skin, right? For it to look and feel its radiant best?

We truly believe that good skin is all about having a healthy glow. Who cares – in all honesty – if you have laughter lines and a slightly less contoured jawline than you used to? If your skin is healthy and glowing, nothing else really matters. And, as skincare ingredients go, vitamin C is almost unbeatable in its glow-inducing powers.

How Vitamin C Gets Your Glow On

Being able to fight off free radical damage is the first step here because if your collagen and elastin supplies are hunky dory, your skin cells will turn over more efficiently and all those dead skin cells will get sloughed away quicker to reveal all that fresh stuff underneath. Sluggish cell turnover is a sure-fire route to dull skin, so major kudos to vitamin C right there.

However, that’s just part one of the story because vitamin C also inhibits melanin production to help reduce dark spots and improve uneven skin tone. How does that work? Well, vitamin C decreases the production of tyrosinase which is an enzyme in your skin that accelerates melanin synthesis. Slowing all this down significantly reduces the amount of melanin in your skin. The result? Less patchy skin, fewer dark spots and a brighter, more even-looking complexion.

All. Over. That.

What’s The Best Form Of Vitamin C For Your Skin?

There are countless types of vitamin C used in skincare but we believe there’s only one real choice: sodium ascorbyl phosphate (SAP). Sure, pure vitamin C (l-ascorbic acid) is extremely potent but this can have its downsides, causing dryness, stinging and redness – especially if your skin is sensitive. L-ascorbic acid is also very unstable, meaning it breaks down and loses efficacy when it’s exposed to light and air.

SAP, however, is a salt form of l-ascorbic acid and contains sodium phosphate molecules. So what, you might wonder? Well, these molecules are actually super important because they help stabilize the vitamin C which makes it last longer. Gold star for that. Your skin does have to convert SAP back into ascorbic acid after it’s been applied to your skin because this is its bioactive form, but this actually helps reduce your chances of irritation so we think that’s worth another gold star.

3 Of The Best Ways To Add Vitamin C To Your Skincare Routine

1. In Your Cleanser

Cleansing is one of the best ways to boost blood flow and draw nutrients to the surface of your skin thanks to a combination of massage, cool refreshing water and awesome skincare ingredients. We love starting (and ending!) the day with Vitamin C Brightening Cleanser which contains 15 percent SAP plus collagen-boosting MSM and nourishing rose hip oil.

2. In A Serum

If you’re looking for the best formulation for delivering active ingredients to your skin, straight where it needs it, serum is the absolute go-to. Serums have a small molecular structure which means they’re able to penetrate the skin better than heavier products like oils and face creams. Try Amazon’s biggest selling vitamin C serum – our Vitamin C Facial Serum (*pats selves on backs).

3. In Your Sunscreen

Our SPF 30 Mineral Sunscreen with Vitamin C is the newest baby within our vitamin C range, and it’s fast becoming a fan favorite. Carefully blended with plenty of protective, radiance-boosting SAP it uses non-nano zinc oxide to shield your skin from damaging UVA and UVB rays. A morning must, if we do say so ourselves.

For more fabulous vitamin C products, including our hydrating night cream, daily moisturizer and super-charged turbo serum, check out our entire range right here.